However, since three months there is no ARV available at the
hospital forcing the victims of dog bites to either purchase expensive from
open market or rush to Srinagar hospitals 50 kilometers away.

“These vaccines are not even easily available in the market.
This is an alarming situation and health authorities are least concerned,” an
official said, adding poor patients faced difficulties traveling to Srinagar
five times in 28 days for the required dosage.

“A few days earlier a patient from a remote village of
Kokernag who was badly bitten turned up at the hospital. He was very poor and
pleaded to be vaccinated, but had to return disappointed,” another official at
the Anantnag hospital said.

He said that the situation in other district hospitals in
Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian was no different.

A health official said that even in SMHS Srinagar vaccines
was available are only for patients who suffered “severe dog-bites in the
head.”

“Most of the dog bites were left untreated,” he said, adding
the shortage of ARV risked many lives.

The official said that the Jammu and Kashmir Medical
Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) responsible maintaining stock stopped
procuring and supplying vaccines to the hospitals since manufacturers tacked up
rates.

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